Jheeram attack was against democratic setup of the state: NIA

The Jheeram valley attack by naxals, which almost wiped out top Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh in 2013, was part of a tactical counter offensive campaign (TCOC) by ultras against the democratic set-up of the state government, according to the final chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The chargesheet says that Darbha Regional Committee, Central Regional Command CPI (Maoist)-command II, Military Company-II and PLGA Platoon had effected the ambush in Jheeram Ghati in Bastar district on a Congress rally on May 25, 2013 in which 27 people were killed and 33 others injured.
Top leaders, including state unit president of party, Nandkumar Patel, former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla, ex-opposition leader Mahendra Karma were among those killed in the attack.

The chargesheet says the attack was aimed at creating terror in the minds of people and over 150 ultras took part in it.
When contacted, state Congress general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said the NIA chargesheet was replete with anomalies.
"The NIA finding that opposition (Congress) leaders were killed to destabilise state government was unpalatable and contradictory," he said today.

Trivedi said NIA chargesheet was "silent" on the crucial point of why the Congress rally was not provided with adequate security on the fateful day despite the palpable threat to it.
"If Maoists wanted to destabilise government they could have done so by targetting 'Vikas Yatra' taken out by CM Raman Singh which had passed through Bastar. Fact is that Vikas Yatra was given foolproof security whereas the Congress rally was not," he alleged.

Trivedi said naxals had issued a release condemning both the rallies.
"The chargesheet is also silent on who was behind the conspiracy to not provide adequate security to Congress' rally," he added.
NIA had arrested nine persons in this regard.